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Monday, January 31, 2011

Did I get lucky or what? Not only did I get to marry a smarty pants, but she is beautiful too. I know it is not very professional of me to comment on my subjects, but I think I am allowed in this case. I always knew that I would marry a red head with green eyes... and sure enough... I did.

Jenny is a college professor and is one of the most dedicated teachers that I have ever met. She literally puts in hundreds of extra hours of work in a year... going beyond the call of duty. She has helped many students get into grad school, and many more in their professional careers as Industrial Organizational Psychologists. I have met many of them and they have told me that she pushed them harder than anyone else, and it was because of her that they were prepared for the challenges later.

This is a quick head shot I made of "Dr. J." for a poster that will advertise a speech that she will be giving at her school next month. She was asked by the school to prepare a special presentation to inspire the students. I can't wait to see it myself.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

I have often taken a lot of good natured ribbing about my slow adoption of technology. Back in the day, when everyone else was getting a cell phone, I bought a beeper. When most people were on their second flat screen tv, my wife and I were still watching a 100 lb. tube style behemoth. I drove a 14 year old beater with peeling paint and a leaky trunk probably a few years longer than I should have. If it's not broke, why fix it was my motto. The only thing that I have never skimped on is camera gear, because you truly get what you pay for.

When it is time to buy some new technological device, I find my self going from dusty antique to shiny new super gadget overnight. For me, it is almost the equivalent of traveling to the future to see how humans will be using devices ten years from now. I agonize over these major purchases... spending untold hours researching and discovering what the best product is for me. That is part of the fun of being on a budget...you are forced to look at cost/value relationships, and wait for the right time to buy.

This is how I came to the point of buying a new 3D flat screen television to replace our "old school" cabinet tv. My buddy, Jason of Performance AV, did the honors of transporting our living room into the future with a wall mounted TV, and a component rack with hidden wires in the wall. We could not be happier with it. You can see the time lapse video below.

Performance Audio and Video is a company in Atlanta, GA that installs flat panel televisions and audio video equipment. I have known Jason Caponi, the owner of the company, for many years. He is an excellent mechanic and guru of all things that require precision.

Last year he officially started installing flat screen televisions and related audio visual equipment in people homes. The business took off and he didn't look back. Below is the stop motion videos that I made for him of an installation in my boss's "mancave".

This installation included use of a special 90 degree wall mounted bracket that allows the tv to be watched from straight ahead where the pool table is or from the extreme right where the couch is.

If you need a tv installed or custom AV work, check him out and give him a call. His website is www.tvguy.net